The Program: Volume 1

The Program is a stunning book. After hearing about it through BookTube and reading the blurb, I knew I just HAD to read this book. The Program tells the story of Sloane and her boyfriend James. In a dystopian society, suicide has become a pandemic for under-eighteens and if any teenager is ‘flagged’ as being depressed then they are taken into The Program. The aim of The Program is to ‘fix’ the teenagers and remove the depression but by doing so, they also remove the teenagers memories. Sloane and James are madly in love but with people committing suicide all around them and Sloane finding it hard to cope after her brother’s death, they have to pretend to be ok – plastering smiles on their faces and acting as normal as possible. But, behind closed doors they are both falling apart. Depression is taking hold. No one wants to be put into The Program but especially not these two for when they are ‘fixed’ neither of them will remember each other. Their relationship will be over. With James’ promises to protect Sloane and Sloane’s insistence that she’s ok, what will happen to the two teenagers? Young is a genius for a myriad of reasons. The first is the plot. The Program is such an original and unique idea that you cannot even begin to predict what will happen, the kind of characters you’ll meet and the way the story will turn which leads onto the second point which is the pace. This book is paced perfectly, every chapter ending makes you want to read the next one, and then the next one. It’s addictive! Next, Young’s characters are just phenomenal – Sloane was the most incredible, relatable and competent protagonist and the other characters she interacts with were so well written. There were characters we were supposed to dislike and the anger and frustration I felt towards those characters was palpable. Character development in this book is fantastic. Sloane, James and a handful of other characters we meet on their journey develop well over the course of the novel but Sloane perhaps develops the most and I was amazed by her journey. She was such a strong, feisty character and I admired her strength and courage but also felt anger and injustice on her behalf. I got so sucked into this book and so immersed in the pages that I had some serious emotional reactions to what was going on! The book is divided into three sections (I can’t tell you what they are as they might be spoilers!) but I found the division of the book into three separate parts to be really effective and helped to focus on the stage of life Sloane was at. The twists and turns this plot takes were really well written and there were multiple times that I had to stop reading and just digest what was happening, sitting there open mouthed! The ending to this book was such a shock and a huge cliff-hanger that I am desperately waiting for the second book to be published. The Treatment will the sequel and, sadly, the final book. I could happily read about Sloane forever! From the blurb of The Treatment it sounds like we are in for an adrenalin fueled ride with Sloane as she navigates the next part of her hellish adventure and I cannot wait to re-join her very, very soon. The Program is a MUST READ novel full of drama, tension and intrigue. Not one to be missed.

The Program is both a heartbreaking romance and a psychological thriller, based around a plot with endless surprises. The book is split into three sections: pre-Program, The Program and post-Program. The first section of the book left me emotionally drained, because it was just so gut-wrenching. Sloane and James have both lost so much; friends, family and now they could even lose themselves. Try to imagine a world where suicide is meant to be contagious and the only solution is to erase chunks of people's lives. It's a pretty scary thought! The feelings of dread and sadness that slowly overtake Sloane and James, stealing who they are, left me wondering throughout whether this was because suicide really has morphed into some kind of disease, or because the looming threat of The Program and having their identities erased was just too emotionally stressful. I think it's great Suzanne didn't force one or the other - she left it up to us to decide. Amongst all this the shinning light in this story is the relationship between Sloane and James, which goes beyond simple romance. Their love is palpable on every page and it was wonderful to read about two people caring so deeply for each other. Their relationship was heartbreakingly desperate, but also filled with fun and sweetness and a strangely endearing charm. The second part of the book launches us into an entirely new setting and, in a sense, a new story. I was curious how exactly The Program wiped people's memories and loved the way Suzanne executed that. Instead of them strapping people down to a chair and doing some kind of operation, what they actually did was something more gradual and manipulative. Something far more sinister. I was practically screaming at Sloane during those parts, begging her to realise what was happening. But, of course, fictional characters have wax in their ears. The way Sloane slowly transformed though, losing pieces of herself, was fantastically done. Suzanne Young did a great job of fading away parts of Sloane's character, but also showing the parallels between her pre and post Program. However, I will say I really wasn't a fan of Realm (his character was quite prominent while Sloane was in The Program). I found him manipulative and dreary and I really didn't connect with him, which is strange because I got the feeling this was a character I was supposed to like. Instead, I feel like he made the book drag. Aside from that negative, this was a genuinely great read. Suzanne managed to keep the suspense throughout and that's something I rarely see. The anticipation is constant and I was devouring the pages, anxious to get to the bottom of things and find out what was going to happen. Suzanne writes a seamless story with captivating characters you can't help but care for. It's an intense and emotional read that's both endlessly engaging and uniquely executed. I can't wait to read the second book and see where everyone is now!

I'd been wanting to read this book for a long time now. The blurb really caught my attention (especially as I've suffered with major depression in the past), so when I got the chance to buy a book, this one was my choice. Luckily, it was a super fantastic read! I like the title of this book. I like how it's really plain and simple, yet, it works. The title very much suits the book as it's pretty straight-forward about what the book's going to be about. I like the cover for The Program. All teenagers who enter the program are made to wear yellow lemon colored scrubs. I like how it shows the uniforms. The world building is superb! Everything is explained fantastically throughout the book. Young makes it easy to believe that one day there will be a "cure" for depression and teen suicide. There's only one bit in the world building towards the end of the book that kind of made me question its reliability. I don't want to give away spoilers though, and this could just be me over thinking things. The pacing is spot on. From the very first sentence, this book had me hooked. I couldn't wait to see what happened next. To say I devoured this book would be an understatement. The plot was super interesting. Teens are being taken to The Program once they become depressed. Apparently, teen suicide is contagious and an epidemic, so the only cure is The Program where memories are erased. When Sloane's boyfriend, James, gets taken into The Program, it's not long before Sloane becomes depressed and is taken in as well. Will James and Sloane remember each other or will their memories be totally erased? I thought the plot was very original, and I enjoyed every bit of it. Some of the scenes in The Program reminded me of The Matrix. I believe this book could be read as a standalone since there wasn't a major cliff hanger, but I think it'd be better read as a series. I loved the characters! I loved how Sloane came across as just a normal teenage girl who had been through a traumatic experience. I felt that her vulnerability made her even more lovable. I also really liked James. I loved how he wanted to protect Sloane from everything. It was very evident how much James and Sloane loved each other. The only character I didn't really care for was Realm. It's not that he wasn't well written because he was. It was just that I never really felt like I could trust Realm. There's just something about him. The dialogue was fantastic and fit in well with a young adult novel. I loved reading the dialogue between Sloane and James the best. There are innocent mentions of sex although not many. There's also some swearing and some violence, but nothing over the top. Overall, The Program by Suzanne Young is an original story that has fantastic world building, great characters, and hits close to home. I've already bought the next book in the series. I'd recommend this book to those aged 16+ who are after a book with an original story line and want a thrilling read. (This review is also featured on my blog).

Ce livre, je le veux depuis si longtemps… Maintenant que je l’ai lu je me dis que je n’aurais vraiment pas dû attendre ! Limite je me dis "Fichtre! Mais comment diable ai-je pu vivre sans?". Si si, je dis vraiment pas des choses comme "fichtre" dans ma tête... Le suicide est devenue une épidémie chez les adolescents et Le Programme a vu le jour afin de soigner chaque personne montrant des syptômes de dépression. Pour cela, tous les souvenirs pouvant entraîner une rechute sont effacés : les amours, les amitiés, les drames etc. Sloane espère échapper à cette épidémie qui lui enlève toutes les personnes qu’elle aime. Malheureusement, le Programme va venir s’occuper d’elle… Cette dystopie est une petite pépite comme on aimerait en voir plus souvent. Vraiment, j’ai du mal à m’en remettre. Ce que j’ai aimé : - Dans la première partie, nous suivons la vie de Sloane et découvrons tout son environnement relationnel. Nous apprenons à nous attacher aux personnages et surtout à la relation Sloane/James. Du coup, quand la deuxième partie voit le jour, nous racontant son quotidien dans le Programme, on assiste, impuissants,à la perte des souvenirs auxquels elle tient les uns après les autres. J’ai vraiment adoré cette partie car je n’ai jamais rien lu de tel. J’veux dire : Je ne me souviens pas en avoir déjà connu plus sur la vie du personnage principal que ce personnage lui-même. Cela nous donne la sensation d’être un élément important, de détenir la vérité sur les raisons qu’elle a de se battre contre cette institution. Perso j'étais un peu en mode "VAS-Y DEFONCE LES SLOANE REVEILLE TOI BORDEL!" - Les dialogues entre les personnages sont pleins de vie et de sarcasmes, chose que j’ai toujours apprécié. Il n’y a pas de discussions plates et ennuyeuses écrites par un auteur en léger manque d’inspiration. Chaque page est un bonheur à lire et à découvrir. - La fin : sans rien dévoiler, c’est le genre de fin qui promet au lecteur une toute nouvelle facette de l’histoire. C’est agréable, même si ce style de fin n’a rien d’original pour une dystopie. Ce que je n’ai pas aimé : - C’est plus que rare, mais je crois que pour une fois j’aurais apprécié une narration à double voix car j’étais frustrée de ne pas savoir ce qu’il se passait du côté de James lorsqu’il n’était pas avec Sloane. Bref tout ça pour dire que ce livre est une petite merveille et que la suite promet d’être tout aussi géniale. Pour ceux qui ont la possibilité de le lire en VO, je vous le conseille vraiment… De toutes mes forces… Limite c’est un ordre… ACHETEZ-LE BON DIEU ! Sinon je suis obligée de vous sortir de ma vie à jamais, et ça, c’est triste. A lire si : Vous avez une petite fringale de dystopie. Parce qu’en acheter une autre serait passer à côté de… CA ! Ce truc là ! Cette histoire énorme et originale et bien écrite et et arggg !

For a dystopian, "The Program" seems eerily plausible, making it an engaging and suspenseful story. Readers will devour its pages. I truly did not expect to stay up all night long reading chapter after chapter because I couldn't make myself stop to sleep. This book reminded me of my love for YA fiction. It was such a pleasant surprise. Thankful to my friend for recommending it to me.

Completely intriguing and engaging the entire way through. Sometimes long books can begin to get boring as the main anticipated part recides, but that is definitely not the case with this book. It is definitely worth the time and money to read.

Total spannendes Buch, kann das nur weiterempfehlen. Die Ankunftszeit dauerte sehr lange, doch verständlich, da dieses Buch aus Amerika kam.